Famara is the bit of Lanzarote that looks like nowhere else on the island: a long sweep of pale sand with the Risco de Famara cliffs rising behind it, sheer and brown and a little forbidding. In mid-August, several hundred runners take it on. The serious 50km route climbs into those cliffs and crosses some genuinely rough volcanic ground; the 25, 15 and 7.5km options give you a taste without the full ordeal, and there are walking routes for people who'd rather not run anywhere.
You don't need to enter to enjoy it. Come down to the start-finish zone on the beach, watch the field set off across the sand, and stick around for the kids' Carrera Chinija, which is usually the best-natured race of the day. Bring water and something for the sun. Registration runs online until 9 August, or until places fill.
